James Spann's new weather network is for everyone in Alabama
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Spann's new channel is for you. Photo: Courtesy of James Spann
James Spann, likely Alabama's busiest and most popular meteorologist, is taking to his coverage to the next level to make sure no Alabama community goes without.
Why it matters: The Alabama Weather Network will be a streamable channel covering the entire state in a media environment where more people are relying more on mobile devices for news.
- The Alabama Weather Network will be on streaming services like Roku, Apple TV and Chromecast starting Aug. 11.
- Spann will serve as chief meteorologist for AWN, he explains in a Facebook post, but won't leave his post as chief meteorologist at ABC 33/40 in Birmingham where he'll continue to anchor severe weather coverage.
What they're saying: Spann tells Axios Huntsville that many parts of Alabama are underserved, especially rural areas.
- "No part of Alabama will be ignored with our new network; it doesn't matter if you live in a city or way out in the country," Spann said. "Every human life is precious."
Zoom in: "I know this state better than anybody, and am uniquely qualified to do this," he says, adding that he's put together a team of "solid A players" who will have the resources to do it right.
- "Success means simply mitigating loss of life during high impact weather events such as tornadoes, floods and hurricanes," he said.
Zoom out: Spann's social media accounts, which regularly post photos submitted from viewers alongside his critical weather updates, won't change.
- The Alabama Weather Network has already signed on tens of thousands of followers on Facebook, X, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. Apps will be available on phones, tablets and TVs.
How it works: AWN will feature a 24/7 stream with updated forecasts, features about Alabama and its people and more.
- "If any Alabama county comes under a tornado warning, we will be on that stream with live 'wall to wall' coverage," per Spann's Facebook post.
- Continuous live coverage will commence for other high-impact events like hurricanes, floods and winter storms.
Context: It will feature Spann's personality, too, with plans to include viewer photos and videos as he does now, as well as live streams in the field and dozens of fixed cameras across the state.
- And, he adds, the network will provide "useful and accurate information on blue sky days, along with fun features about the state of Alabama."